Argent Wrote:Interesting topic.
I don't think the visual style of T: L had much of an effect on its reception. In fact, most of the negative reviews I've read tend to mention the look of the movie (and the Daft Punk score) as the things they did like, then go on to point out that awesome visuals aren't enough to carry an entire film.
Here are some things about Legacy that I feel people have had problems with.
Poor Pacing
This is a huge one. A number of reviews have mentioned how the first twenty-five minutes or so in the real world seem to drag. The plot is set up pretty deftly within the first few minutes - we meet Flynn and young Sam, learn about the Grid, Flynn disappears, then we segue to Sam as an adult. At this point, the audience knows what's coming - Sam's going to end up visiting this fantastic digital realm in search of his dad - and they're ready for things to start happening. And now that the audience is primed, they're expected to sit through nine minutes of Sam breaking into Encom to leak their newest OS onto the net, a dangling subplot that had no relevance to the core of the movie. I think the director would have been better off just segueing from young Sam in '89 to Alan's visit with Sam in the present. They discuss Sam's adventure at Encom Tower in the dialogue - we could've gotten away without seeing it, and it would have helped the initial pacing.
Yet despite the slow start, T: L still ends up being heavily front-loaded in the action department. After the initial wait, we're rewarded with what are arguably the movie's two strongest action sequences - Disc Wars and the lightcycle battle with Clu. Then things slow to a crawl again while we're treated to flashbacks and exposition over dinner. The light jet dogfight is a strong sequence in its own right, but it just doesn't have the same visceral intensity as the other two. The fact that it's the last big battle in the movie just makes it more noticeable.
So Legacy gets off to a slow start, hits us with a major dose of action, then drops into low gear again for a long stretch of the movie. Things pick up a bit near the end, but they never reach the intensity of those early scenes.
Failing to Fulfill The Audience's Expectations
Another issue that people I've spoken with have had with the film - and it's a sentiment I share - is that Legacy lays the groundwork for scenes that audiences wanted to see, then fails to follow through.
Flynn's vintage lightcycle is a good example of this. Sam and Quorra arrive at the safehouse, and we're shown this awesome-looking bike. It's Flynn's vintage lightcycle, the audience is told, and it's "still the fastest thing on the Grid". Sam has shown he's a kickass biker, so the audience is expecting this superbike to come into play in the story somehow. When Sam steals the bike and leaves in the middle of the night, we're ready for the payoff - maybe a highway chase where Sam has to outrun some of Clu's Black Guard bikers.
Instead, we see Sam... ride into town and give the bike to Bum.exe, in exchange for a ratty-looking cloak that Sam doesn't even end up keeping anyway.
Cue audience disappointment.
Another case of failing to follow through was when Sam went to retrieve his father's disc from Clu's carrier. The guards move to stop him, and then we cut to Jarvis' reaction as they get slaughtered offscreen. Everyone I've spoken with IRL expected that fight to play out onscreen. It was a decisive moment for Sam, marking the point where he stopped needing to be saved by others (Quorra, Flynn) and came into his own.
To be fair, a four-on-one fight between Sam and the guards was storyboarded, but time constraints meant that it couldn't be shot. The setup and pacing leads audiences to expect a fight scene, one that's supposed to be there, so they're waiting for it. But instead of being treated to an epic disc battle on par with the earlier Disc Wars scenes, we get to hear the Wilhelm scream from offscreen and watch Sam walk through a doorway looking grim.
Once again, the audience's expectations are dashed, and not necessarily in a good way.
And then we have Tron/Rinzler. The audience is introduced to a character who's apparently the arena champion, the best warrior on the Grid. He's Clu's right-hand man and enforcer. Astute viewers also pick up on the fact that Rinzler used to be Tron, the program who sacrificed himself so that Flynn could escape during Clu's coup. The groundwork has been laid for something major to happen involving this character, so the audience expects it... then, when it finally does happen, it's brief and unsatisfying. (Even moreso for the people in the audience who never saw the original, since they have no emotional attachment to the character of Tron, and the phrase "I fight for the Users!" wouldn't have any special significance to them.)
If one or more of these setups had led to the expected payoff, I think that would have improved audiences' opinions of the film.
Plot Holes
There are some things in Tron: Legacy that are poorly or inadequately explained, or just don't seem to make sense.
Some of the gaps can be filled in by looking at the supplemental materials like the tie-in comics, the Tron: Evolution games, and the T: L ARG. You shouldn't expect audiences to be familiar with additional media, though - everything they need to know for the movie to work should be there in the script.
The Legacy writers didn't do the best job of deciding which points to address in the movieitself, and which to leave to other media. (I think it says something when a pivotal scene between Flynn and Clu. one that gives a huge insight into the relationship between them and foreshadows everything to follow, appears not in the movie itself, but in the tie-in videogame.)
The undefined nature of the ISOs is probably the worst problem. Quorra's a walking, talking MacGuffin - since the ISOs are supposed to "change the world" and revolutionize everything, it's vital that the last one make it out to the real world. Yet while Flynn tells Sam (and the viewer) that they're super-special, the audience is never given any reason to believe it within the film. Yes, Quorra's incredibly hot and she has great reflexes, but there are hot and talented women in the real world already. And while we see her regrow an arm, we don't know how much of that is due to her ISOness and how much is Flynn's l33t h4x0r skills and User-ness in action (and I'm inclined to think it's mostly the latter).
I may add to this later, but it's already ridiculously long. Suffice it to say that T: L had script and pacing issues that kept it from realizing its maximum potential. (Maybe they ought to let Clu direct the sequel...) This doesn't mean I didn't personally enjoy it, but I do believe that addressing some of the points I mentioned would have led to the film being better-received by both audiences and critics. |
Hey Argent, that was a pretty good critique of Tron: Legacy. As much as I love it, and as much as I hate some of the negative reviews, I'm starting to see what you're saying and some other weaknesses. Here's my points:
1)The Writing (in general) - yes, I think this could have been improved in a few spots.
EXAMPLES:
a)When Quorra and Sam break out of the game grid, no one from Clu's forces
are following them. Yes, I know their light cycles weren't designed for the outlands,
however, why didn't Clu send an army of recognizers after the grid runner as it
escaped through the Outlands?
*My solution - I would have had Clu summon some Recognizer pilots to chase
after Sam and Quorra as they got away, shooting at them, and have Quorra
and Sam dodging the blasts. That would have really showed off Quorra's
driving skills and it would have upped the stakes, IMHO. Then when the Recos
start taking damage and find their efforts futile, then they could have retreated,
right before Sam and Quorra got to the safe house (would have been too early
to attack the safe house);
b)The explanation of the ISOs - I'm reminded constantly that film is primarily a
VISUAL medium. While it was good that Flynn
talked about the specialness
of the ISOs, in retrospect, their specialness wasn't reinforced enough visually.
*My solution - during the voiceover exposition, maybe show some footage
of the ISOs exhibiting their special abilities, and during the fight scene in the
EOL Club, instead of Quorra passing out from getting her arm hacked in half,
have her able to regenerate her arm right away, and continue fighting; cut out
the scene where Flynn fixes her;
*Another thing - I would have expanded upon the revolutionary ISOs - maybe
have Sam and Quorra have a secret "war council" with a group of ISOs,
visually hinting that they would help Flynn take out Clu;
c)The ENCOM break-in: Shorten this as such - instead of showing Sam jumping
off the tower and all the breaking in footage, only show the boardroom scene so that
you can reinforce the tension and set up the villain for TR3N (i.e., the ENCOM &
Dillinger Jr. vs. Alan & Flynn conflict), then cut to the scene where Alan approaches
Sam in his apartment and you see the marks on his back showing that Sam jumped
off the tower;
d)The reunion between Father and Son - I too, felt that there should have been more
emoting in this scene; I mean, if your Dad just mysteriously disappeared for 20+
years, and then you run into him 20+ years later, wouldn't you be a lot more
emotional?
*My possible solution - have Quorra explain briefly that the time dilation in the Grid
has had a huge effect on Flynn's mind and emotions
e)The exposition over dinner - I honestly don't know how I'd change that much, outside
of visually strengthening the whole ISO details; sometimes in a movie, it is good
to alternate between action and then slow spots;
2)Dialogue - as much as I loved the references to the first film, i.e., "That's a big
door!", "It's all in the wrist", and the like, here's some ways I would have changed that:
*My possible solutions - After Flynn and Quorra have designated Sam to be the
gunner, and after Sam quickly learns who to man the gun, then you could have
an exchange like this:
SAM
(shoots an enemy jet)
Wooohooooo!!!!! This is just like playing doubles in 'Space Paranoids', Dad!!!
KEVIN
You're getting it, Son. It's all in the wrist.
(It looked like Jeff was about to bust out laughing when he said that line in the movie, LOL!!!!! Would love to see the outtakes).
OTHER IDEAS
*When Sam steals his Dad's bike to go to the EOL club - yes, I agree, this was a GREAT opportunity (outside the light cycle race) to reinforce Sam's wizardry at driving a cycle - maybe have some recognizers or tanks shooting at him as he speeds into Tron City, and he skillfully dodges their blasts
*During the final faceoff between Clu2, Kevin, Sam, and Quorra: I would have had Rinzler/Tron (instead of him getting shot down and falling into the Sea of Simulation) show up during this scene and help Kevin get rid of Clu2. I could see the following happen:
a)Rinzler takes off his mask, revealing himself to be TRON;
b)TRON's circuits change to a vibrant blue followed by,
c)Clu2 becoming disoriented as TRON leaps in the air, and then descends upon Clu2, derezzing him, sending him shattering into a thousand bits of data; TRON then helps Kevin try to stop the platform from derezzing, or he summons a two-man light jet, and TRON and KEVIN fly off;
d)Sam and Quorra rush to the portal, but they try to get Kevin to go along - Kevin refuses, saying, "I have to take care of the Grid!"; Sam and Quorra go through the portal, and Kevin either: gets destroyed by the derezzing of the platform, or we don't see what happened to Kevin. This would make a stronger hint (later when Sam is uploading the Grid onto his SD card) that Kevin may still be alive, or that there may be a way to revive him.
*The 4-1 disc battlle - yes, I know there were time constraints with this, but it would have been really cool to see this scene, once again strengthening the fact that Sam is a badass on the grid;
*The scene after Sam and Quorra go through the portal - maybe have Sam and Alan show up in the office, the morning after, and it could go like this:
EXT. ENCOM TOWER - MORNING
The morning sun bathes ENCOM Tower in a beautiful yellow light.
INT. ENCOM - MORNING (SAME TIME)
ED DILLINGER JR., and RICHARD MACKEY are wrapping up a short "meeting" in Richard's office.
RICHARD
So you got that little ENCOM OS12 situation patched up?
ED JR.
It's good to go. OS 12 is all ours - and no Flynn is going to take it away from us.
RICHARD
Good. That's what I like to hear. Make sure it doesn't happen again.
ED JR.
(smiling strangely)
Oh, it won't. I've got it all covered.
Richard thanks Ed Jr., and Ed Jr. leaves.
INT. LASER BAY - MORNING
Ed Jr. is at his computer, scanning the network for any hacks or leaks. Suddenly, a familiar deep voice answers, as a box appears indicating that the scan has finished. . .
COMPUTER VOICE
Scan completed. I've gotten 1200 times stronger since you re-installed me, Son. Everything is airtight.
ED JR.
Great. So when do we launch the attack, Dad?
COMPUTER VOICE
There's a 68.71% chance that Sam Flynn may try something again.
Suddenly, another familiar voice is heard. . .
MALE VOICE
Oh, I'd say it's more like an 99.99% chance!
Stunned, Ed Jr. turns around to discover SAM, ALAN, QUORRA and KEVIN FLYNN staring him in the face.
SAM
I got this, Dad! Ed Jr., I'm taking over the company - and my first order of business, is getting rid of you! Pack your bags, Jr.!
ED Jr.
It's not over, Sam.
KEVIN FLYNN
We'll see about that.
Suddenly,
COMPUTER VOICE
I told you to be careful, Jr. Now, I'm going to have to put ALL of you on the game grid!
The laser fires up, and it breaks down everyone in the room, sucking them inside the ENCOM 14308.
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